Lionel Messi played in front of 88,966 spectators on Saturday when Argentina beat Mexico 2-0, the largest attendance at a World Cup match in 28 years. The Lusail Stadium north of Doha, which will stage the final on Dec. 18, hosted the most people at the World Cup since the 1994 final in the United States, according to FIFA. There were 91,194 people at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, to see Brazil beat Italy in that penalty shootout after a 0-0 draw. Read More: FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022: Will Brazil’s Samba dance continue without Neymar? Saturday’s attendance was several hundred more than the figure for the two previous games at Lusail Stadium, when Brazil beat Serbia and Argentina lost to Saudi Arabia. Qatar’s attendance figures do not rank in the top 30 of all-time World Cup matches. The largest crowd was 173,850 inside the Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro in 1950 for Uruguay’s 2-1 victory over host Brazil in the final game of that tournament. Read More: Despite not knowing where he'll play beyond Qatar, Ronaldo eyes glory in possibly his last World Cup Other stadiums figuring in the top-30 list are the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City, Wembley Stadium in London and the Camp Nou in Barcelona. However, Saturday's Messi-led Argentina vs Mexico contest in the Qatar World Cup attracted 88,966 spectators, which was the largest in the past three decades.

Argentina football team captain Lionel Messi has admitted that the four days between losing to Saudi Arabia and winning against Mexico in 2022 Qatar World Cup were difficult for him and his teammates. “It was uncomfortable given the defeat in the opening match, which we didn’t expect,” Buenos Aires Times quoted Messi. “The days were very long, that’s how it felt. We were eager to have the chance to turn this around. We knew it was a critical game. If we didn’t win we were out and if we won, we would have another chance. Luckily we could win and that was a weight off our shoulders and joy. We have peace of mind, it’s all down to us again.” Read more: Messi, Argentina under pressure for Mexico game at World Cup In Saturday’s World Cup match, Argentina appeared disorganised and short in ideas in the first half, but adjustments made by Coach Lionel Scaloni allowed them to put Mexico under more pressure and ultimately break the tie on 64 minutes, thanks to Messi. “We knew that if we lost we would be out, they gave us a difficult game but having the No.10 [Messi], it’s always easier,” said goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez. “We never doubted ourselves, but these days were hard for us. But today we showed that we can be more.” Read more: FIFA World Cup 2022: Messi seeks history with Argentina Lionel Messi's Argentina stunned everyone when they lost against Saudi Arabia in their opening fixture of the Qatar 2022 World Cup. The Albiceleste made a strong comeback in their second match against Mexico, beating the North American side 2-0.

The first round of the group stage of the ongoing football world cup event concluded on Thursday, with some unexpected results. The host team, Qatar, became the first team out of the tournament after conceding two back-to-back defeats. On Saturday, four crucial matches will take place, with the biggest fixture being top-favourite Argentina's clash against Mexico. Let’s have a look at the group-phase matches that will take place on Qatar World Cup Day 7. Group C The two matches in Group C that will be held today are Saudi Arabia vs Poland at 7 p.m. (BST) and Argentina vs Mexico at 1 a.m. Sunday (BST). Read More: Qatar World Cup Round 1 Overview: One of the most unpredictable football events in recent years Saudi Arabia vs Poland After a surprising 2-1 victory over Argentina, the Asian giant Saudi Arabia are one of the most talked-about teams in this World Cup. They have a genuine chance to advance to the Round of 16 if they win any of their remaining two group phase matches against Poland or Mexico. With the confidence they have right now, the Saudi side can feel that they have a strong chance to make it to the next round. Poland, on the other hand, should target this match to earn all three points, as they can’t settle for another draw. The Polish team will top the group if they beat Saudi Arabia in this contest. All eyes will be on Robert Lewandowski, who missed a penalty in their opening match against Mexico. Argentina vs Mexico It’s a do-or-die contest for two-time champions Argentina after their shocking defeat to Saudi Arabia last week. Argentina will be out of the tournament at the group stage if they fail to win the match against Mexico, which will be hugely embarrassing for them. Coach Lionel Scaloni is mapping out an effective strategy that would see his side display a dominant performance against the Mexican team, something that was missing in the first match. For Mexico, this is a very crucial game as well. They are very much aware that Argentina will attempt to boss the contest, so getting all three points will be tough for them. The Mexican side will be hoping for at least a draw. Anything is possible if they can unsettle Argentina with a plan that they don't anticipate. Group D The two Group D fixtures that will be held today are: Tunisia vs Australia at 4 p.m. (BST) and France vs Denmark at 10 p.m. (BST). Read More: Argentina vs Mexico FIFA World Cup 2022 LIVE Streaming: Where, how to watch online and on TV, predicted XI Tunisia vs Australia Tunisia can feel confident that they will advance to the Round of 16 after holding Denmark to a 0-0 draw in their first match.Tunisia will go for everything to beat Australia in this match to make sure they are very much in the race for the top two finishes. Australia, on the other hand, will be out of the competition if they lose against Tunisia. They lost 4-1 against France after taking an early lead. This may disrupt their confidence a bit. But the Australian side has the ability to shock big teams, and this match against Tunisia will be a tough battle to watch. France vs Denmark Two strong favourites from this group are France and Denmark. The reigning champions started their campaign very well by beating Australia 4-1. Denmark, on the other hand, struggled against Tunisia and now face pressure when they play France today. Denmark will be hoping to snatch at least a point from this fixture if they fail to overcome the 2018 Champions. On the other hand, France will secure their place in the Round of 16 if they win the match against Denmark. French coach Didier Deschamps won’t surely leave it to their final fixture of the group phase against Tunisia. He will expect a dominant performance from his side against the Danish team to get all three points. Read More: US earns respect at World Cup, but wins remain elusive Aftermath The four matches on Day 7 of the Qatar World Cup are very important in the race to qualify for the Round of 16. Argentina, one of the most popular football teams in the world, would be eliminated from the competition if they suffered two consecutive defeats, which would be a major upset in this year's event. Besides, France and Saudi Arabia have a chance to make it to the knockout phase. Overall, Saturday's FIFA World Cup 2022 group stage matches should be exciting to watch.